Ladder stabilizing devices or attachments are known in the art devices used to space a ladder from the wall of a structure and stabilize the ladder as it rests against the wall. The primary use of such devices is to permit additional work space away from the wall for a person climbing the ladder, as is often necessary when painting a wall, cleaning the gutters of a building, or using the ladder to climb on to a roof. Prior art stabilizing devices are also useful when attempting to work proximate fragile features of a structure, such as windows and gutters, because they allow these features to be accessed without having to rest the legs of the ladder directly thereon.
Prior art ladder support devices typically include unshaped support members that are supported in a fixed position on a ladder by means of brackets or clamps that are bolted or otherwise fastened to either the ladder legs or rungs. Many prior art devices utilize chains between the support members and the ladder to enhance the stability of the entire assembly. Furthermore, many utilize shaped brackets or channels that engage several rungs of the ladder to provide enhanced support. Some examples of prior art ladder support devices employing the above-referenced features can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,568,801, 4,331,217, 4,369,860, 4,502,566, 4,615,412, 4,823,912 and 5,010,979.
The aforementioned ladder support devices all accomplish the objective of spacing a ladder from a vertical surface in some fashion, but generally suffer from complexity of design, use and manufacture. Prior art ladder support devices are difficult or impossible to quickly attach to or detach from a ladder, often involve numerous fasteners that must be tightly secured prior to use, and provide support members that rest against the wall at a sub-optimal angle for safe use of the ladder. Furthermore, many of the prior art devices are expensive to manufacture thereby discouraging sales to the public.